IIHF World Hockey Championships

Despite a 12-1 win over over-matched Norway on Friday, I think this may be the weakest team Canada has sent to the World Hockey Championships in recent memory.

While Russia is sending stars like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Sergei Gonchar, Canada is missing most of the players who fueled its gold medal run at the Vancouver Olympics. Corey Perry is the only returning player from the Olympics on Team Canada. Instead, they have the likes of Evander Kane, John Peverly, Kyle Cumiskey, Brett Burns, Steve Ott, etc.

If this group of Canadians has to face the Russians again -- or maybe even the Swedes, Czechs or even Slovaks -- it could get pretty ugly. Now its being said that Steven Stamkos, one of the few pure scorers on the team, may be sidelined with a head injury, further weakening the offensive thrust.

I put this on Mark Messier, whose job it was to assemble the roster. I understand that some players were unavailable because their teams are still in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But there are a lot of good players (Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, Scott Niedermayer, Vincent Lecavalier, etc.) who should be in the lineup.

For the record, Stamkos didn't play in the 12-1 win, he was knocked out of the previous game by an elbow, left with concussion like symptoms, was held out of todays game despite feeling good after being put through the paces. Will be held out of Sunday's contest as a preventative measure.

Also I have a hard time blaming Messier for the lack of star power on this team -- outside of the goalie situation, there had to have been a better back up available. There was always a concern that with the Olympics this year that they would have trouble getting players to commit. The tournament has rarely been treated seriously by Canadian players -- unless it was in the build up to an Olympic tournament or in Canada -- and that is unfortunate. Where as with the Europeans, the tournament has always been a big deal, for many Eurpean players it is bigger than the Stanley Cup growing up, especially for the Russians. You want to blame someone, blame the players that turned down invitations, like Iginla, Nash, et al.

Team Canada isn't the only team that had trouble getting players this year, the Czechs have exactly four current NHLers plus an over the hill Jagr. Sweden has only one NHL forward, and a bunch of NHL prospects like Magnus Paajarvi Svenson and Linus Omark -- they also don't have any of their top goalies at the tournament like Henrik Lundqvist. Finland should be embarassed by the team they iced, but not as much as the US, that lineup is truly atrocious. The Russians do have the best roster, but they also have the history with the players.

I actually like that they have given a prominant role to some of the NHL's up and coming stars, justwish they were complimented by a few more established ones. They took a big hit when they lost Ryan Smyth with a broken ankle.

I could see that. But if you're going to have a tournament, go all in. I definitely blame the players who skipped. If you're not seriously injured or your team still playing, get you sorry butt over there. This "it's a long season and I'm tired" crap doesn't cut it, anymore than it does with the US basketball players.

The U.S. lineup is embarrassingly bad, and there were a lot of decent players available that turned down invites due to "fatigue" (but they certainly would have been happy to extend their seasons two weeks to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs).

I have a LOT of respect for Jack Johnson -- he answers the call any time USA Hockey calls. The U.S. sent a "B" team last year that was backstopped by a washed-up KHL goaltender and still finished fourth.

Canada has enough national depth to be able to send a B team and still be decent. The United States isn't even sending a B team this year that caught some bad breaks (two OTLs in the first round, and three one-goal losses) ... they won't be relegated, but they've put themselves in a position to have an awful seed for future World Championships.

The IIHF (run by Europeans, so they'll never do this) should coordinate with the NHL on the WC's and maybe the World Cup, to play them at a time when the top players can be there ... possibly before the national seasons begin, like the baseball World Cup ... and maybe play in even-numbered non-Olympic years.

I usually enjoy the WCs -- especially given they're on an over-the-air channel here -- but they are a complete non-factor in North America, in part because they're never held here.

In re Chris Kreider on the U.S. roster - as of late there has been a roster spot reserved for a U.S. collegian. (or two - in the case of 2008, when BC's Nathan Gerbe and BU's Matt Gilroy played at the Worlds.)

Mark2010, disagree. Consider players from the Detroit Red Wings or the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have played in the past two Stanley Cup Finals. The toll of 275 to 300-plus games (preseason, Olympics, postseason, 2007 Worlds) is more than just "It's a long season and I'm tired" - it's not just a sudden stop at the end, it's a crash. For an elite hockey player's body to properly recover, it's at least a month, even before the psychological withdrawl. Plus, right about now is when non-playoff and non-Worlds players begin to train for next season.

I could see that. But if you're going to have a tournament, go all in. I definitely blame the players who skipped. If you're not seriously injured or your team still playing, get you sorry butt over there. This "it's a long season and I'm tired" crap doesn't cut it, anymore than it does with the US basketball players.

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So which is it, Mark? Messier's fault or the players'?

Personally, I don't think it's anybody's. Messier can't force them over (nor should he be able to) and the reasons given by the players cut it for me, even if they don't for you.

Besides, it's not a tournament the Canadians - players or fans - really care about anyway.